“Look at bigger picture behind unpopular government decisions I felt uneasy reading reports on protests and criticisms of recent decisions made by the Government (Silent protest against reserved election; Sept 17). Before we condemn these decisions as being high-handed and undemocratic, we need to look at the bigger context and take a pragmatic view of things. Singapore is heading towards its first post-Lee Kuan Yew leadership transition. Many of the fourth-generation leaders have limited runway to gain critical governing experience. Their learning curve will be steep, amid the increasingly challenging geopolitical and economic environment. We may seem to sacrifice some democratic ideals in the process, but if doing so helps to smoothen the path towards a successful leadership transition in Singapore, then I believe the sacrifice is worth it. A capable and successful fourt...